Typically, a layer of particulate matter is fluidized within a container by vertically vibrating the container filled with the particulate matter. It is well known that the state of fluidization is subject to a wide variety of changes depending on the number of vibrations performed (frequency) and the amplitude of the vibrations. Regarding vibro-fluidizational behavior caused by relative movement between the particulate matter layer and the container, as shown in the well-known fluidization patterns in FIG. 7, according to the magnitude of the centrifugal effects due to vibrations, there is first, as shown by pattern B, movement of the particulate matter that causes the surface of the particulate matter layer to become inclined, while in pattern C1, there is circulation (convective) from the center of the particulate matter layer towards the walls of the container. At this time, if the speed of circulation is slow, the surface of the vibrating particulate matter is flat, but if the circulation is more brisk, the surface of the particulate matter swells slightly. As the centrifugal effect is increased, the direction of circulation reverses as shown in pattern C2. Localized circulation as shown in pattern D then occurs within the particulate matter layer, and characteristic waves appear at the surface of the particulate matter.
However, by only vibrating the container, vibro-fluidizational behavior occurring in the particulate matter layer is restricted to the extent of the criteria described above whereby circulatory flows occur while slight swelling occurs. There is also instability in the causes of the fluidity where different phenomena appear depending on the location within the container. On the other hand, the response of particulate matter layers with respect to oscillation amplitude and frequency has not yet been sufficiently analyzed and vibro-fluidizing is a very difficult phenomena to predict. Dispersing particulate matter for the whole of the container in a homogenous manner using circulation while guaranteeing that this phenomena will repeatedly appear at the surface of the particulate matter layer is not possible. This kind of circulation can therefore not be said to be circulation that can rapidly be applied to each of the types of particulate matter treatment such as mixing, reacting, and surface treatment, etc. The only applications of treatment devices that directly utilize vibro-fluidizing of particulate matter are in exhaust systems, sieving devices, and conveying equipment etc., which means that in reality the range of utilization is limited. There is recently therefore a demand for high-speed particulate matter treatment technology with the desired degree of treatment homogeneity, and the appearance of particulate matter vibro-fluidizing devices that can perform treatment such as crushing of an agglomerate powder, dispersion and mixing of particulate matter and reactions with an atomized gas, etc. and forming a thin film on the surface of particulate matter, that can carry out such treatment in a short period of time, and where the vibro-fluidizing can be utilized in a vacuum.
Vibrating mills where particulate matter is ground using characteristic circular vibrations are well known. With such mills, a circular trajectory of vibration is applied to, for example, spherical-shaped media within a cylindrical container. The spherical-shaped media (impact balls) are then made to collide with the inner walls of the container and the particulate matter is ground between the inner walls of the container and the impact balls. Looked at from this viewpoint, this does not utilize circulation of the particulate matter itself and can therefore not be adopted.
In order to resolve the above problems, in the present invention, the present invention is capable of producing circulatory behavior due to vibro-fluidizing of particulate matter in such a manner that the whole of the particulate matter circulates so as to be dispersed in an even manner over all of the surface of a particulate matter layer so that the particulate matter momentarily repeatedly appears even when different circulation occurs depending on the location within the container, and without the use of a fluidizing medium such as air or gas etc., or the use of a solid medium such as impact balls, etc. Complex processes such as crushing of an agglomerate powder, dispersion, mixing and drying of particulate matter and reactions with an atomized gas, or the forming of a thin film on a particulate matter surface, etc. can therefore be performed in a short period of time.
This circulator behavior enables control of changes from circulation of slight swelling, to dispersion spouting or columnar spouting so that treatment such as the aforementioned reactions and processing etc. can be carried out using circulation that corresponds to the desired purpose. This also enables superior circulatory behavior in special environments such as in a vacuum etc., and enables a particulate matter vibro-fluidizing device that can easily be made small without requiring an especially complex overall mechanical structure.